Customer Experience Is the New Price Tag
Rising prices mean customers expect more. See why customer experience in franchising now matters more than menu prices or discounts.
Keep ReadingA great franchise business coach combines emotional intelligence, brand or industry experience, and a proactive, data-informed approach to help franchisees build profitable businesses. The best FBCs earn trust first, then use it to guide franchisees toward better results.
One of the most difficult—but also most crucial—roles on your support team is the franchise business coach (FBC). FBCs are there to support and motivate the franchisee, but also to execute on the corporate team’s goals and needs and ensure compliance.
At times those dual responsibilities—representing the franchisor’s interests while also helping to solve the challenges a franchisee is facing—can often leave FBCs feeling stuck in the middle.
Angela Cote, CEO and founder of AC Inc. and a former FBC, says it is one of the most difficult roles in a franchise system. In, What Every Franchisor Should Know About Franchise Business Coaches, she writes, “Setting your FBC’s up for success starts with attracting the right type of person to fit the unique set of tasks this position requires.” That starts with understanding the role of the FBC.
What Is the Role of the FBC?
1. Help franchisees grow their businesses.
Increasing profitability not only benefits the franchisee, it’s critical to the growth of the brand. Antonio McBroom, a Ben & Jerry’s multi-unit franchise owner, sees his FBC as an extension of his team. They provide perspective on what’s happening in other franchisees’ businesses and in other markets. Bill DiPaola, former COO of Ballard Brands, believes the FBC has two goals: help franchisees make more money, and save more money to their bottom line.
2. Know your franchisee’s definition of success.
Each franchisee has a different reason they are in business, and has a different end goal. The more you know about them, the more you can tie their performance and results to those goals. This starts with working with franchisees to define a clear, personalized vision for their business and what they want to get out of it over time. FBR’s free guide, How to Design an Effective Franchisee Vision Plan Program, walks through how to put this into practice.
3. Coach and build relationships.
Relationships are built on trust, which takes time. McBroom points out, “We need to experience some storms together,” before that trust is solid. As a coach you need to put yourself in the franchisee’s shoes to understand and RESPECT their perspective. If franchisees don’t believe you have their business and best interests top of mind, it’s hard to convince them that anything you are saying or doing is something they should take into consideration.
The next step is attracting the right people to coach your franchisees. These are some of the key takeaways to consider as you hire, train, and support your support team.
What Makes a Great Franchise Business Coach?
1. Soft skills
Emotional intelligence has become more important in working with franchisees. FBCs need humility, strong communication skills, and an understanding of when and how you can offer flexibility around what you are asking franchisees to do. Franchisors need to provide this type of training to their coaches—not just when they join the team, but continually to help them learn and practice these important skills.
2. Brand (or industry) experience
Franchisees respect FBCs that have been in their shoes. That could mean hiring FBCs that come up through one of the stores, working for franchisees, owning a business—anything that shows them this FBC has “been there.” Franchisors we interviewed agreed, noting that their most effective coaching comes from industry experts rather than generalists. If you can’t hire people from within your brand, design training to incorporate hands-on work experience with franchisees in a location before they are put into a coaching role. Amy Perkins, Senior Business Consultant at Ben & Jerry’s, also recommends looking for education OUTSIDE of franchising to bring new ideas and fresh thinking to franchisees.
3. A thick skin (or hard chin)
Franchisees complain. Sometimes they just need to be heard, and they can come at you hard. Some days you have to take the punches before you can move them through it.
4. A proactive, data-informed approach
Franchisees consistently ask for more strategic guidance and earlier warnings when performance starts to slip. Great FBCs don’t wait for a bad month to reach out. They track performance trends, benchmark franchisees against the system, and start conversations while there’s still time to change course.
What Franchisees Don’t Want from FBCs
1. “Don’t rain on my parade.”
When franchisees are excited and optimistic, they don’t want you to immediately present the negative side of the story. They need you to be a coach and sometimes more importantly, their cheerleader!
2. “Snitches get stitches.”
All kidding aside, playground rules apply. Everything you talk about doesn’t need to go right back to corporate. A great FBC needs to know what can stay between the two of you to help the relationship and business, and if/when something needs to be funneled back to the franchisor.
3. “Don’t shove YOUR changes at me.”
When you want a franchisee to invest additional dollars or make major changes, frame the investment around THEIR goals and business. Give examples of how it’s helping others and the results you are seeing. “Sell” them on it vs presenting it as a mandate or noncompliance. As Bill DiPaola says, “Don’t expect anything from anyone before you serve them.” Focus on trust and building an authentic relationship, and the harder conversations will become easier.
4. “Don’t only show up when something’s wrong.”
If every visit follows a bad report, franchisees start to dread seeing you. Regular check-ins during good stretches build the trust that makes tough conversations easier later.
Free Tool: How to Assess Franchise Business Coach Performance
How can you ensure your franchisees are getting top-notch support? Start with a 360° assessment of your FBCs using these free templates to assess critical skills areas.
How to Measure the Effectiveness of FBCs
Franchisee profitability and brand growth depend on effective feedback and support systems. The best way to measure the success of your franchise business coaches is to ask your franchisees directly. A franchisee satisfaction survey can uncover:
- Critical insights into franchisees’ relationships with FBCs.
- Data for FBCs and franchise leadership to understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
- Opportunities for FBCs to customize their support and strengthen one-on-one relationships with franchisees.
Measuring your coaches is only half the picture, though. Even highly skilled FBCs struggle without the right structure behind them, including clear expectations, manageable workloads, and access to data.
Ready to get started? Schedule a 10-minute demo to get a confidential assessment of your brand, understand how to measure FBC effectiveness, and benchmark your FBCs’ performance.
FAQs About What Makes a Great Franchise Business Coach
What qualities should a great franchise business coach possess?
A great franchise business coach should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, a deep understanding of franchise systems, and the ability to analyze business performance. They should also be adaptable, supportive, and skilled at providing actionable advice tailored to each franchisee’s needs.
How does a franchise business coach help improve franchisee success?
A franchise business coach works closely with franchisees to identify challenges, set clear goals, and develop strategies for growth. By offering guidance on operations, marketing, and financial management, they empower franchisees to make better decisions and achieve long-term profitability.
Why is industry experience important for a franchise business coach?
Industry experience allows a franchise business coach to provide practical insights and proven strategies that are specific to the franchising model. Their understanding of common obstacles and opportunities within the industry ensures they can deliver effective, targeted support to franchisees.
The Only Event Designed Just for Franchise Operations & HR Teams
How can you make an immediate and lasting impact on your franchisees’ success? Find out at the FBR Summit, October 28-30 in Austin, TX. The Summit is an intensive, franchise industry event created just for operations leaders and their teams that directly support franchisees. Don’t miss it!